Track Cycling World Championships: Valentine Fortin and Benjamin Thomas in silver

2023-08-06 23:53:09

Two more medals for the French team bringing the total to four. After the bronze in men’s team sprint and in women’s team pursuit, Benjamin Thomas (omnium) and Valentine Fortin (Elimination) added two silver medals for the French side on the 4th day of the Glasgow Worlds.

Thanks to a last sprint full of determination during the points race, Benjamin Thomas, only 9th after the first three events, secured a 2nd place in the Omnium behind the surprising Portuguese Luri Leitao. The same result as during the Worlds of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines last October. The 27-year-old Cofidis rider has again shown that he remains the leader of the French endurance team. It is indeed already his 10th world medal (5 in gold, 5 in silver) and the 5th in Omnium (2 in gold, 3 in silver). The Tarnais based in Italy will compete in the points race on Wednesday, an event where he was crowned at the 2021 Worlds in Roubaix and is a triple European champion.

The second medal for Valentine Fortin

A little earlier in the day, after the bronze in the team pursuit event on Saturday evening, Valentine Fortin had therefore won a second medal. The Toulousaine from the e Cofidis team (24 years old) finished 2nd in the Elimination event. She was overtaken by defending champion Lotte Kopecky who had already beaten her at the European Championships last February. Second in the Tour de France behind Demi Vollering on Sunday, the Belgian went carefree from the road to the track in a week.

“I was hoping for gold, I believed in it until the last moment,” says Valentine Fortin. I saw myself winning. But I am very proud of this silver medal. I finished behind Lotte who finished second in the Tour de France and was the defending champion and ahead of the omnium world champion (American Jennifer Valente). It’s great to be on a world podium with these two girls. »

Mathilde Gros only 6th in the keirin

After the failure in team speed and that of Marie-Divine Kouamé in the 500m, the French sprinters continue to chain disappointments. Second in her semi-final, Mathilde Gros, European champion in the discipline in 2018 and 2019, did not exist in the keirin final and finished 6th. The bulk of these Worlds will nevertheless begin for the world champion in speed in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. She will defend her title on Monday with the start of qualifying. The final will take place on Wednesday.